


Strained Voices

by Tamari



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce, Tricksters - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-01
Updated: 2012-08-01
Packaged: 2017-11-19 10:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/572507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamari/pseuds/Tamari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She's restless and he's tired/ or, decisions probably should not be made past midnight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strained Voices

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Goldenlake Olympics, POTS/DL team, with prompt "when it's raining".

It's hours past midnight when he startles himself awake.

But she's not beside him - she's standing by the windowsill, staring off into the cloudy still darkness. _You're beautiful_ , he thinks of saying, but he doesn't. Instead, he joins her in a few quiet steps.

She doesn't turn to him. "I can't sleep," she says.

"You never can."

"Yeah, sweetheart, I know," she says with a bit of a bite in her tone.

He says nothing. After a few uncomfortable moments, she sighs.

"Sorry I snapped," she says. "I'm so tired."

"Sleep," he suggests. His own eyelids are starting to slide closed, enveloping him in darkness. A blink and it's her face again. She's always there for him, so he should be awake for her, but it's so late.

"Not that, I don't know. It's not that kind of tired."

"Then what?" he says.

She turns to face him in the moonlit room. "Lots of things," she says. "Pressure and parents and - and Thom, I suppose, and Alan, I'm so worried - and you, of course." She adds something in a low tone, but he doesn't catch it.

"Me?" he says incredulously, running his fingers through his hair. Then - "What was that?"

She turns back to the window. "I said, I like to sleep when it's raining. It rains almost every night back hom - at Pirate's Swoop. And it… calms me down, most of the time. And yes, of course, you. I love you."

"Why does that stop you from sleeping?" he asks as he wraps his arms around her and stares out at the night.

"Mum will hate you," she says bluntly. "And I always knew she would, but it's so - different, I suppose - now that we're really together. You're really courting me. You really love me."

"Of course I do," he says. "Who wouldn't love you? So beautiful and wry and clever - and irritating."

"Pardon!" she says.

"Ah, just a joke, Aly. I really do love you. Don't worry about your mother."

"How can I not?" she says, twisting in his arms.

"Well," he says, "you can go to sleep." He sees the expression on her face in the moonlight, fading behind the darkening clouds, and adds, "Or - you know the old saying, 'it's easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission'?"

"Yes…" she says suspiciously.

He glances around and grabs something - she doesn't see what.

"Aly, darling, would you like to marry me?" He detaches from her and sinks to his knees.

A beat of silence passes and he's about to rise and pretend nothing happened when she squeals. Aly throws herself down, back into his arms.

"Of course, of course I will!" she says.

"Are you sure?" he asks. "Not that I don't want you to say yes - I love you so, so much, I want to marry you - but you know - the name, you don't - and I -"

"Don't be ridiculous," she says with a sniff. "I'd be thrilled to be Alianne of Eldorne."

He wraps his arms around her and she smiles into his shoulder.

Outside, it starts raining.


End file.
